The access tunnel was much shorter than I had expected. I readied
Hamlin's shotgun. I was having second thoughts about this, shooting my own
people. Who could have done such a thing, to so many people. Hmph, imagine
that, me, a created killer, one of the best, and here I was caring about
what happen to people I didn't even know. Amazing what combat does for you.
I've been in combat before. You had to be one of the best before being
accepted into the NewType program. The access door was opening now, I'd have
time to think later.
Before I stepped through the door, shouts were screamed out. More
men wanting my blood. I spotted them across the room, moving through a short
corridor. One blast finished the two. I think I'm going to enjoy this little
shotgun of mine. The firing alerted more undead troops. Looks like I was
back in action. The juice harness began pumping drugs into my system;
adrenalin, intitial pain-killers, even a couple of anti-viruses to prevent
any air-bourne microscopic attack. A trooper rounded the corner and lost his
head. Another came towards the other corner, where happily a barrel of toxic
waste lay. A blast of the shotgun sent searing hot shards into my would-be
assailant. I proceeded into the room.
The room was large, the corridor I initially saw turned out to be a
path between two smaller rooms within the larger. I disliked this openness,
it would be too easily for something to come up from behind. Left, screams
all around. Before me, three troops came for me, guns at the ready. The
shotgun fired three times, then I turned. Two others were coming from the
opposite side, guns blazing, I took a hit in the arm, and returned fire.
Silence reigned once more. The side room was large, with a number of paths
to choose from. Before me stood a large blast door, red warning lights
glowed all around it. 'Damn.' I cursed to myself, 'Didn't figure on access
cards so early.'
An archway to the left led to a lift to a small storage area. It
seemed to be plundered already, only one medkit lay on the ground, open and
half empty. A small box of bullets sat in one corner, and I took what I
could, filling up the half empty clips that I was carrying. I caught my
breath, the juice harness letting me down easy, slowing turning off the
supply of drugs. I shook my head and headed downward. I wasn't finished
yet.
The last path circled back, putting me on the other side of the
initial corridor. Two troopers lay dead on a short flight of stairs, blood
congealing on the walls. I picked up a clip, stowing my shotgun in the
holster on my back. A quick look behind me showed a locker area, and through
searching their I found a small suit of light armour. Too small for me, but
I could make use of the plates. One good thing about the military is that
they had the foresight to see the usefulness of modular armour. I replaced
what I could and headed around the corner. This led into a similar room as
before, except now two doors were positioned in alcoves across from me, one
in each corner.
I quickly reconed the room, making sure no troopers were hiding
behind pillars, then turned to face the doors. I moved to my right, the door
opening at the press of a button. Stairs led upwards, the observation
lounge, no doubt, considering the number of windows that lined the walls. I
took the steps two at a time, trying to keep my blood pumping. It didn't
take long.
A hiss alerted me to their presence. I turned quickly, pistol at
the ready. A large imp came down the stairs, throwing itself at me. My
pistol was knocked from my hands as we tumbled to the ground. Gunshots were
heard overhead, but I was more concerned with the demon spawn on top of me.
I gave him two solid punches with the spiked gloves I wore, but that seemed
to have little effect. The demon hissed again and I screamed in agony.
Electicity coursed through my body, sending my nervous system into overdrive,
all the pain centers of my body firing at once. Grimacing, I gritted my
teeth and shoved upwards. The imp's head exploded, sending gray matter
everywhere. At least those bastard soldiers were good for something. I
rolled on the ground, pulling the shotgun from it's holster and fired up the
staircase. The soldiers poured down the stairs, six in all. In the haze it
was difficult to tell how many I killed, and how many killed each other. But
I remained alive, and that's what counted. I grabbed the pistol and made
my way up the flight of stairs. Growls and cursing came from outside, but
for now it didn't concern me.
My body still shook from the imp's attack when I reached the top of
the stairs. Luckily, no one else was up here. Looking around, I found a
small stimpack, which I used to bind my shoulder wound. A number of computer
consoles and communication equipment lay at one end of the room. I tried
accessing the computers, but soon found that the memory had long since been
scragged. The comms were beyond repair, of course. They certainly wouldn't
want to make it easy for me. I was about to leave the room when I heard a
small click. I spun around, firing a blast into the far computer. 'Damn,
a little trigger happy, aren't we?'
I proceeded forward cautiously, and found that a small console had
opened, revealing a small card, red in colour. "Playing games, are we?" I
said outloud, carefully picking up the red key card. Luckily, I shot at head
height, the card was at waist level.
I quickly went down the opposite staircase, which led back to the
area I began in. I decided that the red access door would be next, and
headed back to the access tunnel, making sure no one else was around to
surprise me later.
'Wait a minute.' I thought to myself. I noticed that the far wall
seemed odd. I didn't know why until I approached closer. The walls weren't
correctly aligned, as if a section of the wall was put in later. I carefully
felt around the wall, my hand suddenly pressing down on a small plate. I
jumped back as an entire section of the wall moved upwards in silence.
"What do you know, a secret room." I had played games like this when I was
a kid, killing villains of the past, who would have thought that someone
would have taken it to heart. Seems the military was more practical than I
thought, except that they forgot to tell their own soldiers about these. I
entered slowly, the door hissing quietly shut behind me. Though dim, I found
a full medkit hung on one wall. I refilled my supplies, injecting a neural
depressant to calm my electified nerves. In a far locker, most of the other
already broken into, I found a large ammo backpack. 'Perfect.' I smiled,
taking a look inside. Shells, bullets, a lone personnel rocket, and a small
charge pack. Beautiful. Now if only I could find the weapons to use these
new toys with. I shouldered the backpack and opened the door, swinging out
cautiously.
The red door soon stood before me, the access panel eagerly accepting
the access card. The door swished open and screams were heard. Seems these
bastards were everywhere. I opened up with my shotgun, charging forward
through streams of blood. I soon encountered stairs leading upward, from
which I heard movement. 'Now's my turn.' I thought with an evil smile. The
troopers came down the stairs like nice little lemmings, and my shotgun
mowed them down. I quickly rushed up the stairs.
The next room was large, filled with the toxic slime that seemed to
the only liquid in this area. I'd need water soon, but that could wait for
now. An imp suddenly appeared before me, sending hellfire into my side. I
cried out in pain and jammed the shotgun at its throat. The imp's head
landed a good five meters to one side. A small path weaved it's way through
the muck, and I danced across it, spinning around to make sure I wasn't being
followed. A trooper appeared at the entrance, and his chest caved in from
a full load of uranium buckshot.
I arrived in a small lobby, a lift ready to proceed downward. I
found a number of medpacks lining one wall, and quickly took what I could.
The lift seemed to be the perfect ambush sight. Covering my burn with
Plasti-Flesh, I noticed that the opposite wall didn't fit in at all. Whereas
the other walls were rusted and eaten through by acid, a small section
appeared to be in good shape. It didn't take me long to find the access
panel. The door opened silently, and I proceeded inward. A narrow staircase
wound it's way down to the right. I paused, allowing my eyes get used to the
darkness. They couldn't leave well enough alone, could they. To think that
half of the lighting problem was due to our sector commander, who ordered
power to be cut. It probably cost a lost of soldiers their lives.
I quietly stepped down the staircase, noticing a lone imp standing by
itself. A smile drew on my lips as I raised the shotgun. "Eat this,
fucker." The blast blew the imp's head apart, the body toppling over the
ledge. I proceeded out onto the narrow ledge. I'd have to learn to stop
making mistakes.
A shotgun blast tore at my side, hellfire burst in my face. I
crumpled to the ground in agony. Drugs pumped fast and furious into my
system, attempting to dull the pain rocketing through my body. My eyesight
returned quickly, thankfully I wasn't blinded permanently. I vaguely heard
fighting down below me, but my concerns were elsewhere. Hellfire burst all
around me, another ball of flame striking my leg. I recovered my shotgun,
firing out into the dark. I emptied the chamber while pulling myself back to
the stairs. Shouts and gunfire echoed behind me, my ears still ringing in
pain. I crawled up the stairway, pausing only to place the shotgun in the
holster. At the top of the stairs I stopped to gain my senses, and to give
the pain killers a chance to do their job.
I stood shakily, using the door for leverage, and accidentally pushed
the access panel. I fell forward as the door flew open. I groaned in pain,
then realized that the lift was going down.
"Shit!" I swore, fumbling for the pistol. I sat myself up and
waited quietly. I was in no condition to run, so it would have to end here.
The lift began it's ascent, sweat pouring down my face. I winced in pain and
exhaustion. The imp appeared before me, hissing loudly, it's spines dripping
with blood. My finger clamped down, and I emptied a clip into the demon-
spawn, sending it flying up against the far wall as bullet after bullet
pounded into it's body. The clip exhausted, the imp slumped to the ground,
it's greenish-red blood spilling slowly from it's wounds, soon covering the
floor. I dumped the empty clip and slammed another one home. Only bandages
remained in the cannibalized medkits, so I wrapped my wounds as best as I
could.
Taking a deep breath, I painfully rose to my feet. Slowly, I waded
through the imp's blood and started down on the lift. At the bottom, I found
a circular room filled with carnage. Eight bodies lay in bloody heaps about
the room, the silence was deafening. I gathered what ammo I could, my eyes
lighting up upon finding an overlooked box of shells. I filled the shotgun,
put the excess in my backpack. I then looked for an exit.
A large switch lay on the far wall, much like a power breaker. It
seemed to be my only option. I pulled the switch down, hearing the release
of air as two doors, one to either side of me, flew open. After a moments
silence, sure that no creatures were lying in wait, I took the right door.
It curved slightly, leading to a T. The current passage curved around, and
I could see that it led back to the room I was just in, so I took the other
passage, which became a large staircase leading downwards. It ended at a
small door, much like at the end of the Hangar level. "The access tunnel."
I had made it here alive, relatively in one piece.
The door glided open, revealing a room full of former soldiers. They
called out, firing off into my general direction. My eyes narrowed as I
leveled the shotgun. "Fuck you." I hissed, and blasted into the room.
The smoke cleared, and I still stood. No one else did. I moved
inside, closing the access hatch behind me. A small lift lowered itself to
the access tunnel, I began to relax.
A hiss filled my ears, and an electrical shock shot through my body.
An imp stood before the tunnel, hissing wildly as it swung a fist at me, the
spikes scratching across my face. It began to hiss again but was quickly
muzzled by my placing the barrel of the shotgun in it's mouth. "See you on
the other side." I said, squeezing the trigger.